1st RCSA Fellows Conference Builds Community of Support
Cottrell Scholars, Scialog participants, and initiative advisors welcomed the first cohort of RCSA Fellows to an extended community of support, mentorship, and skill building at the first annual RCSA Fellows Conference May 21-22 in Tucson.
Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s latest initiative, launched in late 2023, aims to increase faculty diversity in the physical sciences in the United States and Canada through job search preparation and community building. In addition to an annual conference and professional development programming, the initiative pairs RCSA Fellows just embarking on the postdoc-to-faculty transition with host institutions for mock interviews with structured feedback.
“The initiative will build a bridge between postdoctoral scholars and their future as successful teacher-scholars by demystifying the faculty search process and creating a community to help guide their way,” said RCSA President & CEO Daniel Linzer. “Additionally, RCSA will support and guide participating host departments and institutions in sharing their challenges and best practices in working toward inclusivity.”
The conference, centered on the theme “Next Steps in Your Academic Journey,” was designed to maximize the first cohort of RCSA Fellows’ preparedness and competitiveness for their upcoming faculty job searches. It also aimed to help them develop an inclusive, cross-disciplinary professional network they can rely on even beyond the scope of the multi-year initiative.
In attendance were program facilitators, members of the RCSA Fellows Advisory Committee, panelists, an RCSA board member, and representatives of institutions hosting Fellows for mock interviews.
“I most enjoyed the conversations with faculty and RCSA staff about their experiences, their passions, how they think about science and mentorship, because it has reinforced my desire to be a professor,” one RCSA Fellow said. “Thank you to everyone for being so open.”
Cottrell Scholar 2005 Teri Odom, Northwestern University, kicked off the conference with a keynote presentation, “Tools on Becoming a Faculty Citizen.”
In addition to being well-prepared with good materials and knowledge of the institutions at which they are applying, Odom urged Fellows to consider a wide range of institutions and geographical locations in their searches. Departments where new faculty will be well supported and nurtured, with potential for growth and leadership, may well be outside of their envisioned top 10 list.
She also urged postdocs to spend some time deeply considering what sort of institutions and responsibilities would best fit their skills and life plans. “Why do you do what you do?” she asked. “You should know the answer to that question.”
Along the winding path to the professoriate, Odom said, “this will be a guiding light that will pay off in the future” not just in the interview process but as Fellows find their roles and discover ways to contribute to their academic communities.
Facilitators for the conference were Scialog TDA awardee Jackie Faherty, American Museum of Natural History, CS 2008 Casey Londergan, Haverford College, CS 2018 Luisa Whittaker-Brooks, University of Utah, and CS 2006 Keivan Stassun, Vanderbilt University, who led the successful RCSA-funded Cottrell Scholar Collaborative project that evolved into the RCSA Fellows initiative.
They presented several sessions, including “Reflections for a 5-Year Life Plan,” “Maximize Competitiveness of Your Job Materials,” and “Mentors for your Academic Journey.”
Between the sessions, RCSA Fellows worked in small groups to reflect on their goals, refine their job search materials and plans, and network with the more senior scientists at the conference, whose career paths represent a variety of institutions and roles.
An early career faculty panel moderated by RCSA Board Member Amy Landis, Colorado School of Mines, featured Scialog NES awardees Rachel Davidson, University of Delaware, and Xin Xu, Arizona State University, and Scialog MZT awardee Liliana Salvador, University of Arizona.
They discussed the challenges of adapting to multiple responsibilities as a new assistant professor, navigating their careers, and finding passion and purpose in their work. They advised postdocs to think now about the research group structure and dynamics they want to cultivate.
“I felt grateful for all the information and feedback I received in preparing for my faculty search and applications,” an RCSA Fellow said. “Even colleagues that were out of field gave very useful feedback for my material and had much overlap in their advice.”
Before the conference in May, one member of the inaugural class RCSA Fellows participated in a mock interview at a host institution. The rest of the class will have their mock interviews in September and October.
“Our first conference saw its biggest successes in building a supportive community and in strengthening each Fellow’s job search materials,” said Program Director Eileen Spain. “Next year’s conference will be even more dynamic as we welcome a second cohort of Fellows to Tucson. The conference will include programming tailored for each cohort while providing an intimate setting for quality interactions.”
The nomination process for the 2025 cohort of RCSA Fellows and applications for host institution will be announced later this summer.
Like last year, RCSA Fellow nominees must hold a Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, or astronomy, or allied fields, and currently be a postdoctoral scholar who does not hold a tenure-track faculty position. Applications are initiated by a Cottrell Scholar, Holland Awardee, Scialog Fellow, or Scialog Facilitator from the physical sciences.
